Since its inception, fingerprint sensing technology has revolutionized biometric identification and authentication processes. In most cases, a single fingerprint can be used to uniquely identify an individual in a manner that cannot be easily replicated or imitated. The ability to capture and store fingerprint image data in a digital file of minimal size has yielded immense benefits in fields such as law enforcement, forensics, and information security.
However, the widespread adoption of fingerprint sensing technology in a broad range of applications has faced a number of obstacles. Among these obstacles is the need for a separate and distinct apparatus for capturing a fingerprint image. Additionally, such components are often impractical for use in systems that are designed to be of minimal size or weight or which have minimal physical control elements such as buttons or other surface protrusions or which have a molded lens or cover.
A moldable touch screen and/or display or device case or housing adapted to provide sensing or imaging capability, such as fingerprint imaging or stylus sensing, location sensing, movement speed sensing, would thus lead to increased adoption of fingerprint-based authentication and would be desirable. Most fingerprint sensors require a silicon circuit on which to mount the fingerprint sensing components. Incorporating such a circuit, whether resistive, capacitive, thermal, or optical, into a device surface can require significant and costly modifications to the design and production processes of such surfaces.
As will be seen, the present disclosure provides such a system that overcomes these obstacles.